Which is the best Motorcycle for Overland Travel?

Which is the best manufacturer for Overland Travel?


  • Total voters
    8

OverlandSphere

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May 26, 2013
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In your opinion which is the best Motorcycle brand for Overland Travel taking into consideration the following:
  • Reliability
  • Value for money
  • Specs
Please feel free to explain the reasons for your choice and or to state the model voted for.
 
My MC is an XT 600 high compression single with electric start and it's great.

Its predecessor was the XT500 - known as being probably the best all round long distance expedition bike as it's aircooled, easy to work on, runs on low octane petrol and seldom if ever goes wrong. I have had acquaintances who went across the Sahara on one of these repeatedly: Then came the XT600 - uprating everything that was good about the 500 with all that was learnt, and with no failures or weakpoints in the changes.

The XT600s are not always that easy to get hold of as people who have had them want to keep them - I've had one previous owner ring me up years later asking/begging me to do a straight swap for his 15 years newer Yamaha enduro - no chance, said I, politely! So you might find one from someone who has retired from biking, leaving his bike in good condition yet at a good price.

The only downsides I find is the fork and spring suspension could be better, as with modern bikes, by having a longer travel. The flipside of that is it's easy to mount, unlike some big, more modern enduros. And the fuel economy is not that of a modern bike - but then it has virtually no electronics to go wrong and the engine is low-tuned = not so much power squeezed out of it = more durability and low maintenance.

I'm sure there are better bikes for touring the first world or for high power fun offroad in the West, but once you leave the backup of Yamaha dealers and venture into the rest of the world, a simple bike is excellent to have. There is a lot to be said for road-travelling on very light small cc bikes, too, but at the same time, the extra weight and so momentum of the XT600 can get one out of sticky situations offroad and means one can easily carry a second person and luggage when needed, where a small bike might struggle.

The XTs top speed is not great but it has plenty of low-end grunt for enduro riding and these bikes just seem to never complain about anything - it's like having a steady old friend.

Just my opinion, and everyone has different tastes, but I hope this helps people looking for the right expedition bike - and no I don't work for Yamaha ;)
My other bike is an R1